PRESS RELEASE
The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, home to Muriel, the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E that is identical to the plane Amelia flew on her final flight, is proud to announce two special public programs — ADVENTURE AMELIA: A Conversation with Explorers in the Search for Amelia Earhart on Fri., July 19, and DEEP DIVE WITH DEEP SEA VISION on Sat., July 20 — that will bring leading experts in the search for Amelia’s plane to her Atchison, Kan., hometown during the annual Amelia Earhart Festival.
Both programs will feature Tony Romeo, founder of Deep Sea Vision, who has captured the world’s attention with his company’s recent discovery on the Pacific Ocean floor that has reignited the hope of finding Amelia’s plane. Sponsored in part by SkyWest, Garmin, Southwest Airlines and The Adair Foundation, the programs are free to the public; advance registration for ADVENTURE AMELIA and DEEP DIVE WITH DEEP SEA VISION is required (seating is limited).
“We look forward to joining Atchison’s celebration of Amelia’s courageous life and seeing the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum’s stunning Lockheed Electra 10-E that is exactly like the plane Deep Sea Vision believes we have found,” said Tony Romeo, founder and CEO of Deep Sea Vision. “We’re determined to bring closure to what happened to this groundbreaking pilot and women’s rights advocate who continues to be among the world’s most admired women. Amelia’s perseverance, intelligence and ambition inspire us forward as we heed her timeless wisdom: ‘Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done.’”
ADVENTURE AMELA: A Conversation with Explorers in the Search for Amelia Earhart
WHEN: Friday, July 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST
WHERE: Fox Theatre Atchison, 612 Commercial Street, Atchison, Kan.
WHAT: On July 2, 1937, the world heard from Amelia Earhart for the last time. She, and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared during her attempt to circumnavigate the world. In the final stages of completing the record-breaking flight, Amelia and her Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft vanished over the Pacific Ocean — becoming one of the world’s greatest mysteries of our time.
Since then, many explorers have unsuccessfully attempted to locate Amelia and her Lockheed Electra 10-E. Recently, a new discovery by Deep Sea Vision, a South Carolina-based marine robotics company specializing in deep ocean exploration, has captured the world’s attention and reignited debate in the search for the renowned aviator — and has some believing Amelia’s plane may have, at last, been found.
A moderated panel conversation featuring Deep Sea Vision’s founder Tony Romeo — together with leading explorers and experts in the search for Amelia — will consider where they believe the famed aviator’s plane may be, reasons for its disappearance, and evidence supporting their claims.
Moderator: Dorothy Cochrane — Curator, Aeronautics Department, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
Panelists:
- Tony Romeo — Founder and CEO, Deep Sea Vision, pilot and
- Lloyd Romeo — Project Manager, Deep Sea Vision
- Gary LaPook — Celestial navigation expert with The Stratus Project, a UK-based search for Amelia’s plane
- Liz Smith — Date Line Theory expert, ocean exploration and science documentary producer
For more about ADVENTURE AMELIA and to register to attend this free program, visit https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/event/adventure-amelia/
DEEP DIVE WITH DEEP SEA VISION
WHEN: Saturday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. CST
WHERE: O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College, 1020 N. 2nd Street, Atchison, Kan.
WHAT: Deep Sea Vision scanned more than 5,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean floor near Howland Island where Amelia was expected to land during her attempt to circumnavigate the world in 1937. During Deep Sea Vision’s 90-day expedition, the 16-person crew used the most advanced unmanned, underwater drone that captured a sonar image of an aircraft-shaped object that Deep Sea Vision believes matches the dimensions of Amelia’s Lockheed Electra 10-E plane.
WHO: Tony Romeo, pilot, former Air Force intelligence officer and CEO of Deep Sea Vision — together with his brother, Lloyd Romeo, Deep Sea Vision’s project manager who is also a pilot — will share highlights from their search for Amelia’s Lockheed Electra 10-E and the company’s plans to launch its confirmation expedition with a high-powered camera to search for more evidence, such as the aircraft’s “NR16020” registration number. The conversation will be moderated by Amelia Rose Earhart, a pilot, author and artist who honored her namesake by completing a global circumnavigation flight in 2014.
For more about DEEP DIVE WITH DEEP SEA VISION and to register to attend this free program, click HERE.
WHEN: Thursday, July 18; 6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST
WHERE: Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, 16701 286th Road, Atchison, Kan. (Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport)
WHAT: The Museum will host a benefit concert, “AN EVENING INSPIRED BY AMELIA,” premiering a new composition written by Kansas City composer Dana Mengel. The five-movement piece beautifully conveys the dramatic arc of Amelia’s triumphant life and will be performed by the Amazing Strings Ensemble. Tickets are $25 and include a reception where guests will have the opportunity to meet Deep Sea Vision explorers Tony Romeo and Lloyd Romeo. The event is sponsored by Blish-Mize Company and all proceeds support educational programming at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.
For more about AN EVENING INSPIRED BY AMELIA and to purchase tickets, visit https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/event/an-evening-inspired-by-amelia/
AMELIA EARHART FESTIVAL
WHEN: Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20
WHAT: The Amelia Earhart Festival is hosted every third weekend in July to celebrate Amelia’s birthday (July 24, 1897) in her Atchison, Kan., hometown. The Festival will feature a line-up of events including a “Concert in the Sky” fireworks show on Sat., July 21, that was recently ranked #3 on USA Today’s “10 Best Places to See Fireworks.” For more about the Festival, visit www.VisitAtchison.com/listing/amelia-earhart-festival or follow www.Facebook.com/AmeliaEarhartFestival.
Each year, the Festival honors a woman who exemplifies Amelia’s life with the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award. The 2024 recipient, Kamia Bradley, a First Officer for SkyWest Airlines, will share her story of overcoming homelessness to achieve her dream of flight during the Festival’s “Empowered Women” Symposium at 10:30 a.m. CST on Sat., July 20, in the O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College, 1020 N. 2nd Street.
Past Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award recipients include Kathy Sullivan, first American woman to walk in space and veteran of three shuttle missions, Mae Jemison, former NASA astronaut and first Black woman to travel into space; Eileen Collins, former NASA astronaut and first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle; Col. Nicole Malachowski, first woman Thunderbird pilot and U.S. Air Force veteran; among others.
“We’re honored to bring an esteemed panel of explorers and experts together in Amelia’s beloved Kansas hometown to lead a renewed national conversation about what happened to the world’s most celebrated pilot who made history as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean,” said Karen Seaberg, founder of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. “The search for Amelia and her Lockheed Electra 10-E continues to be one of the greatest mysteries of our time.”
ABOUT THE AMELIA EARHART HANGAR MUSEUM
The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opened on April 14, 2023, to honor the pioneering aviation legacy of Amelia Earhart in her Atchison, Kan., hometown, and inspire future generations in the pursuit of flight. The centerpiece of the state-of-the art Museum is Muriel — the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft that is identical to the plane Amelia piloted on her fateful, final flight. Surrounding Muriel are 14 interactive STEM and history storytelling exhibit areas that take visitors through Amelia’s extraordinary life — from growing up in Atchison to the height of her worldwide fame as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Named among “The Most Anticipated Museum Openings of 2023 by Smithsonian Magazine,” the Museum was recently voted #4 on USA Today’s Top 10 Best New Museums. For more, visit www.AmeliaEarhartHangarMuseum.org and follow “AEHangarMuseum” on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).
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Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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